Health Care Administration

Grading Requirements: Two 'C' Rule

Effective Date: All students entering in and after the Spring 2013 Semester

Background:

TWU requires that graduate students maintain an overall 3.0 GPA while in a graduate program. The 3.0 GPA requirement does not address student performance in individual courses. The 3.0 GPA can be maintained by a combination of ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ course work. Grades of ‘D’ or ‘F’ cannot be counted for graduate credit.

To strengthen the academic integrity of the HCA Program, Program faculty have reviewed several program-specific alternative policy modifications to the overall 3.0 GPA University policy. They have concluded that limiting the number of courses in which a grade of ‘C’ was earned is an effective method of promoting academic strength for the Program.

The TWU Graduate School Catalog Grading Requirements:

Grades in courses offered for the master’s degree must average ‘B’ in both the major and minor fields. (Some departments of the University accept no grade lower than ‘B’ for degree work; please see the appropriate departmental sections in this catalog.) In no case may a course with a grade below ‘C’ apply to the degree.

Graduate students are expected to maintain a ‘B’ average on all graduate work. Consistent failure to do so results in dismissal from the Graduate School. When a student’s cumulative grade average on graduate-level work falls below ‘B’ or when a student receives a grade of ‘D’, ‘F’, or ‘WF’ during any one semester or full summer Graduate School session of twelve weeks, the student is automatically on academic probation and notified of this status. Earning a grade of ‘D’, ‘F’, or ‘WF’ or failure to restore the cumulative average to ‘B’ or above during the next enrollment results in dismissal from the Graduate School. It is not possible to improve the grade record at Texas Woman’s University by attendance at another university. Students who have been suspended may reapply to the TWU Graduate School when 6 years have elapsed after the suspension.

In addition to the general University grading requirements, the HCA Program limits to two courses the number courses in which a grade of ‘C’ is made on HCA Program specific courses. If a grade of ‘C’ is made in a third HCA-specific course, then regardless of the cumulative grade point average, the student will be dropped from the HCA Program. Since this is an HCA grading requirement and not a University requirement, the student may enroll in another TWU program.

The two ‘C’ Rule applies even if the student retakes a course in which the initial grade was a ‘C’.